What is Microsoft Teams?

Microsoft Teams is a complete collaboration platform by Microsoft allowing users to conduct online meetings, start an IM chat/group chat, screen, calendar, file and folder sharing, as well as, being able to make and receive phone calls internally and externally from your computer and/or integrated with a desk phone using VoIP technology called SIP trunk. Additionally, one can download the Microsoft Teams mobile app and be able to enjoy the same functions and features while on-the-go.

Of course there are other platforms that work just like Microsoft Teams. Zoom, Skype, Google Meets and a plethora of other UC (Unified Communications) software are available today. The real advantage to Microsoft Teams is that it is an all-in-one platform that integrates with other Microsoft products such as: Office, Outlook and Sharepoint (to name a few) that make the integration easier and ideally, with the goal of a single sign-on process.

One can download or use Microsoft Teams for free. If you already have Microsoft 365 as your Office product for home or work, then you can get additional benefits with Microsoft Teams. Here is the link to give you a typical base price and user-based plans with Microsoft 365: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-teams/free#office-InlineSkuChooser-idpsh8s

If you are inquiring Microsoft Teams for your school, link here to get you started with initial information and videos to learn about it.
Or feel free to contact us to set up a call how to integrate and customize Microsoft Teams with your call flow.

WHAT IS MICROSOFT TEAMS DIRECT ROUTING?

Microsoft Teams offers an unprecedented feature set for office communications. In addition to its collaboration platform, you can also use Microsoft Teams for making and receiving internal and external phone calls. Direct Routing allows you to use VoIP technology known as SIP trunk that will make communications seamless, more affordable and could be integrated with your handset phones.

Direct Routing is needed because the current web-based conferencing used for connecting globally is not the same technology used for making phone calls using a telephone. Complex call queues, advanced call routing, data center prompts, hunt groups and many other enterprise calling features are not usually functions covered by web-based conferencing. SIP technology on the other hand, has been around for decades and has been the standard used for VoIP technology as used by larger organizations.

WHY DOES ONE NEED VODIA TO MAKE IT WORK?

Custom call queues, advanced call routing features, hunt groups and forwarding have been functions and features provided by Vodia to organizations small and large. Vodia directly connects calls thru SIP trunk.

Microsoft requires a Session Border Controller (SBC) for any phone system to provide direct routing to allow Microsoft Teams to be able to function or integrate with your phone system thru a SIP trunk.

The Vodia PBX can act as an SBC for Microsoft® Teams. Teams extensions can dial internal resources in the PBX, including overhead paging or other incoming extension dialing features (such as forwarding, hold calls, transfer calls, etc.) using VoIP phones. These functions are usually unavailable for Teams. Additionally, Vodia can also manage those Teams calls into SIP trunks for making outbound calls. With Vodia, you have the flexibility to use Teams for just conferencing or for all communications.

Let us know if you’d like us to talk to you about your needs and how we can help you integrate Microsoft Teams with your everyday communications.